Vehicle-wheel.



R. HOPKINS.

VEHICLE WHEEL. l APPLICATION Hummm. la. 1915.

mmm May 30,1916.

nina.

Speciuoation o Letters Patent.

esercito or einen me ratentea may aa, raie.

amputation and nenn ie, aait.' aerninogiaraa To all whom t may/concern."

Be it lmown that'l, Roenn'r Hornnvs, a citizen of the United States, residin at Sheflield, in the county oilColbert and tate l of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-eels, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention `relates to an improved vehicle wheel, and it consists 1n the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed. A

An object of my invention is-to provide an improved vehicle wheel of the cushion hub type especially adapted tor wheels constructed with wire spokes, which will eliminate the excessiveshocks and jars transmitted to the vehicle axle in previous constructions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a strong and durable vehicle wheel of the cushion hub type provided with' a pair of thrust members spaced .Widely at the opposite sidesoi the medial plane of the wheel 'rim and having annular cushioning means spaced axially from the outer faces y of said thrust members.

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ln the accompanying drawing :-lEl`igure 1 is an axial section ot a vehicle hub, illustrating one embodiment of my invention; lEig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ol Fig. 1; lFig. 3 is a detail( erspective view ci one end of the hub box own in lligs. 1 and 2, and lFifg. 4 is a detail view, showing a modified form et cushioning members.

Referring to the drawing, lindicates the hub box mounted on ball bearings 2 on a vehicle axle 3, and provided with a pair of thrust disls l widelyspaced at the opposite sides ofr the medial plane of said hub box.

A hub casing is spaced concentrically about the box 1, and com rises a tral cylindrical section 5 provided with outwardly-Ea conical end portions 6. il

series of wire spokes 7 are shown converging outwardly om the two conical casing portions Vtor attachment in any usual manner to the wheel riin Apositioned in the 4medial t ci the hub. A pair ci annular menit are provided with inclined portions 11 btt and 12 'adapted toY t within the conical casing portions 6, in Awhich they are secured by series of bolts 13 and 1l, which are accessible trom thev l ci the hub casing for read detachment and replacement ci the ann ar memb; said ann members Y with their inner ends comprising .cylindrical portions 8 provided with outwardly-extendmg annular Han es` 10,. and with inwardly-extending ann ar bearing flanges 9 adapted to engage 4the respective thrust disks l. The cylindrical portions `Soi said annular members are provided on their inner peripheries with sets o t driving 1u s 15 which coperate with similar sets o driving lugs 16 extending from the respectiveends of' the hub box 1 s aced from the adjacent thrust disks Il. series of cushioning members 17 are confined between said cylindrical ortions 8 and the hub box, and are provide with recesses for receiving said driving lugs and 16. This provides an improved construction, in which the respective annular members are provided with bearing flanges 9 `integral with cylindrical portions 8, which latter constitute containers for the series of cushioning members 17; said annular members having inclined portions 11 and 12, which are a apted to wedgingly engage the tapered conical ends 6 of the hub casing. rllius, each annular member constitutes a single detachable, element comprising a bearing ttl dependent annular plate 9 formed integral with a cylindrical Y to insurefan advantageous cushioning action thereof. 1n lFigs. 1 and 2, l have sho annular series' of overlappin cushioning members provided on their radial faces' with annular recessesV 20 of arc-shaped cross section; thereby. providing an improved construction-inwhich the cushioning action ot the annular series ot :ver 1 7 is auented uniformly in proportion to the increase'of the compression torce exertedthereon.

Annuler plates 18 are suitably secured, as by 'bolts 19, Ato the' loutwardly-extending radial Hanges. 10 of the resective u lar members-.ier conningthe a jacent ular series ci cushionin members 17.

From the above escription, it will be unsuitable materiahand laresho provi ed with reduced or recessed portions v irc' derstood'that my invention provides an im` proved vehicle wheel, having a pair of thrust practical conditions.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modiied form ofcushioning means,lwhicli comprises an annular series of overlapping c ushion members 21 having several concentric annular series of.

apertures 22 extending axially therethrough: the apertures of said several series being a1'- ranged in sta ered relation. This provides a durable an advantageous construction, in which the cushioning members 21 will be subjected to a substantial uniform compression throughout their entire mass.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory constructions, but changes could be made within the Spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

' 1. In a vehicle wheel, a central hub box provided with a pair of spaced thrust disks, a hub casing provided with conical ends, annular members provided with inclined portions for wedgingly engaging within said conical casing ends, each annular inember comprising a bearing flange for engaging the correspondingthrust disk and a cylindrical container, and cushioning members positioned in said cylindrical containers in engagement with said hub box.

2. -In a vehicle wheel, a central hub box provided with a oair of spaced thrust disks, a

hub casing provided with conical ends, annular members provided with inclined portions for wedginly engaging within said conical casing en comprisin cylindrical containers provided with radia bearing flanges for engaging said thrust disks, coperatin driving lugs on the opposed walls of sai hub box and cylindrical containers, cushioning members positioned in said cyhndrical containers in enagement with ,said coperating driving ugs, and means accessible from the exterior of said hub casin for detachably securing said annular mem ers in position.

3. In a vehicle wheel, a central hub box provided with a pair of spacedthrust disks, ahub casing provided with conical ends, annular members comprising cylindrical containers provided at their outer ends with outwardly-extending radial flanges and at their inner ends with inwardly-extending radial flanges for engaging said thrust disks, the outer faces of said flanges being inclined to wedginglyT engage within said conical casing ends, coperati driving lugs on the opposed Walls of sai hub box and cylindrical containers, cushioning members positioned in said cylindrical containers in engagement with said coperating driving lugs, and annular plates secured to said outwardly-extending radial flanges for confining said cushioning members Within said cylindrical containers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature `in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT HOPKINS. Witnesses G. H. WooDAnD, R. E. WHITAKER.

s, said annular membersl 

